This
is the time of year known as March Madness, a cultural phenomenon based upon
participating in and watching the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball tournament.
Over the course of three weekends 68 university teams, their students, their
boosters, and their respective alumni all begin the tournament with dreams of a
national championship. For people who like watching basketball, it is a
glorious time of year, a sacred time of year. It is a time of year that has
sacred locations: the arenas in which these games are played culminating in
Dallas where the Final Four and the Championship game will be played in a
couple of weeks. It is a time of year marked by sacred time: from the opening
tip of the first game to the final buzzer of the last game. In our home, our
kids have learned about United States geography (learning the location of
numerous universities) as well as team colors and mascots (guiding principles
in determining our daughter’s tournament bracket picks). During the course of
these basketball games there are usually several human interest stories at play
which contribute to the drama of the game. Sometimes these human interest
stories lead to incredibly touching moments that take on an aura of holiness
and sanctity which transcend the game itself. One such moment occurred at the
end of Creighton University vs. Baylor University basketball game. With Baylor leading
by approximately 30 points and only a couple of minutes to play; Doug McDermott
was taken out of the game. Dougie McDermott (aka Dougie McBuckets) is the best
player in Creighton’s history, is one of a handful of university basketball
players in the history of the game to finish his college career with more than
3000 points, and it so happens that his father is the Creighton head coach. So
when his dad took Dougie out of the game, he wanted his son to receive the
recognition due to one of the “best ever”. Sure the standing ovation was nice,
even touching but not sacred. When Dougie walked off the court to the standing
ovation, he walked over to his father with his head held high and tears in his
eyes. Then father and son hugged the kind of hug that every father and son wish
for themselves. For all those who saw
it, this was a special hug, this was a significant hug, and this was a hug that
evoked sanctity and holiness. After the game, the son was asked about walking
off the court and hugging his father, the head coach. The son offered a
poignant response, alluding to the idea that this was the last time that he
would ever walk off a basketball court with his father waiting for him on the sidelines.
Clearly, both father and son were aware that this hug was going to occur at
some point during March Madness. Despite this awareness; when the moment finally
arrived, the hug was neither diminished in warmth, in emotion nor in its
sanctity. Like anything that achieves holiness, even in the most physical of
moments, such as a hug between a father and son at the conclusion of college
basketball career, that sacred moment has the power to remind us of our own
mortality, our own fragility and our desire for sanctity.
This
week’s Torah portion is Parsha Tazria. Parsha Tazria concentrates upon how
impurity, spiritual impurity is passed between people. The majority of the
Parsha focuses upon Leprosy as it was considered to be a very physically
contagious disease. Parsha Tazria puts the diagnosis, the treatment and the
convalescence in spiritual terms rather than physical terms. We learn that the
while this Tumah, this spiritual impurity is present, the stricken individual
cannot reside within the camp. After all God dwells in the camp and we cannot
tolerate any impurity near God.
However,
prior to its discussion of Leprosy, Parsha Tazria outlines the somewhat
troubling laws concerning impurity in childbirth. Fundamentally, the notion of
impurity relates to coming into contact with that which is dead. In Parsha
Shemini, Torah outlined impurities that come from dead animals. In this Parsha
we are reminded that a Mother is touched by death during the miracle of
childbirth. Isha Ki Tazria V’Yalda Zachar V’Tamah Shivat Yamim Kimei Nitdat Dotah
Titmah – When a woman conceives and
gives birth to a male, she shall be contaminated for a seven day period as
during the days of her separation infirmity shall she be contaminated.
(Lev. 12:2). Imagine becoming spiritually impure after being blessed by the
miracle of childbirth. Yet, this new mother lost blood; she lost some aspect
her life force during the birth process. As a result, while simultaneously
being touched by a new life, she is also touched by her own mortality.
Perhaps
there is no more an intense moment than when a new mother, physically exhausted
and spent, holds the newborn. The Rabbis of the Talmud teach that surviving
childbirth is an equivalent to a near death experience and saying Birkat
HaGomeil is therefore required.(Praised
are You, Lord Our God, King of the universe who graciously bestows favor upon
the undeserving, even as He has bestowed favor upon me.) Inherent to
surviving a near death experience is the notion that the individual as come
precipitously close to death. Even in miracle of life, we are reminded of its
fragility. Even in death, we are
reminded that we are forever striving towards elevated levels of holiness. In
the most physical moments, and certainly childbirth is quite a physical endeavor,
we are reminded that it is our spiritual task to elevate that physical moment
into a spiritually holy moment as well. As we bless our children on this
Shabbat, may we be reminded that in every moment, we have the opportunity to
strive towards spiritual purity, and spiritual holiness.
Peace
Rav Yitz
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